National Post (National Edition)
This way fragmentation lies
Re: Justin Trudeau’s Play For Prime Minister May Not Be Enough To Revive His Campaign, John Ivison, June 17. The Liberals should be the last to espouse proportional representation or any of its variations because they would be the most vulnerable to splitting. Just look at the present French National Assembly’s established groups, from left to right: Communist Party, Party of the Left, Socialist Party, Citizens Republican Movement, Radical Party of the Left, Greens, Democratic Movement, New Centre, Centrist Alliance, Radical Party, Union for a Popular Movement and Movement for France, National Front. In addition there are tiny grouplets and regionalists.
True, France has tried to get closer to our first-past-the-post system. It now has geographical constituencies, but it also has second rounds when the leader in the first round fails to obtain more than 50 per cent of the votes, so whoever came first in the first round might very well be defeated in the second. That may seem fairer, but the result is that parties near the centre end up in fragments.
Lionel Albert, Knowlton, Que.
Justin Trudeau has finally admitted the Liberals are now a fringe party. Only a party of losers embraces proportional representation as it is the only way it can get any presence in Par- liament. Look at Europe, where the French and Italians are in perpetual chaos because of the mixture of parties elected in a descending order of hopelessness. In Britain, the Liberal Democrats have been bleating about proportional representation for years as their party lost supporters, flickered and recently died. It was the only way they could get their feet in the trough, although no one wanted them around. Do PR’s proponents realize that a number of parliamentarians will be unelected but appointed? How else will the voters of unpopular parties be represented?
Simon Anstey, Toronto.
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau says if elected he will “study” alternative voting schemes after the next election. Why doesn’t he study it now and make a decision? It isn’t complicated. The first-past-the-post voting process has never been overturned by an incumbent government because it is not in its interest to do so. Ontario’s McGuinty government set the standard too high for its referendum to win. I suspect if Trudeau ever wins an election, he will find when he “studies” the issue first-past-the-post is best (for his Liberal party).
Charles Hooker, East Garafraxa, Ont.